Digital-based devices require software in order to interact with other devices, store, and manipulate information and to perform its designed task. If the software is deficient or otherwise corrupted, generally so is the ability of the device to reliably operate. Digital-based devices often require updated software versions in order to fix poorly performing software that originally was supplied with the device, commonly referred to as software patches. Other software patches are obtained in order to prevent introduction of, repair, counter intervene, or otherwise eliminate malevolent code hacked in by vandal software authors. Other software updating includes version replacement to optimize performance and/or broaden utility over what a customer had been satisfactorily using, or introduction of additional software modules to a device. Furthermore, addition of new data other than executable software onto a device may be useful, for example to add new map data to a personal digital assistant or new music to a portable music-playing device.
Digital devices vary in their complexity. Comparatively simple devices require only a few hundred lines of machine code in an EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory) as commonly found in a microwave oven or coffee maker with a simple keypad or a timer, and as such can support little modification to their software. Moderately complex devices contain a substantial amount of software, but have no provision for making software updates simple or notifying the customer when they might be necessary. Complex digital devices require microprocessors that sport only the simplest software, yet require firmware, an operating system, or other device-specific software. Examples of such devices include DSL modems, cable modems, network routers, wireless access points, digital cameras, MP3 or other music and video players, memory card readers, combination printer/scanner/copier devices, personal digital assistants, certain cellular phones, portable game-playing systems, GPS receivers, other computers including special-purpose computers such as dedicated word processing or calculation or entertainment computers, and combination devices which incorporate a plurality of one or more of these functions. Additional examples of such devices which are not currently widely available include common home and kitchen appliances with added software capability and even running shoes with a microprocessor recently introduced to consumers. These moderately complex digital devices require interactions of the device user or purchaser to determine if software updates are available, obtain (request and download) software updates for the device, and/or to perform authentication or authorization to updated the device.
These devices often require multiple sessions by a user to search, retrieve, and transfer the current software updates for a device on a device-by-device basis. Such manual search and retrieve process presents a laborious and inconvenient burden to the device end-user or owner. In the current state of the art such software updates are therefore infrequently performed, frequently resulting in replacement of faulty products, customer return of non-functional products, or telephone-based support calls to troubleshoot problems which are time-consuming and expensive to both user-purchasers and manufacturers. Furthermore, because the process of obtaining device software and installing it is limited, the market for third-party software add-ons or improvements for such devices is very limited in scope.